The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-01-19
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tS-AA OA1N II tshtss
/ Ferrcts and Terriers as Exferiuima-
tors Ofthc Plague.
Jay Gould paid 800 recently to have his
steam yacht Ataianta cleared of rats; then
he made = contract with the man to keep
the Atalanta free from rats in consideration
Of 1900 year. There are in this city men
| who make yearly contracts to have their
factories OF stores kept free from rats, and
pay from $50 to 800 year.
The rlicatcher uses from five to ten fer
rets and has two terriers aad a rat net. The
dogs scent the rat holes Then the ferreisare
! put in the holes, The rats run from the
/ ferFets to the holes where they run int the
nets Sometimes she rat shows battle to
protect her Young bnt rat is no match for
ferret. The ferrets only kill about one out
Of n The rest of the rats run into the
| nets and then the dogs kill them. A ferret
catches mt by the throat, sncls its blood
and then leaves it. The fefrets destroy all
the nests and young rats, but after ferret
has appeased its appetite ii is useless until
it gets hungry again. said veteran rat
catcher recently
/ It's harder and more dangerous for the
fetrets to work in the city than in the conn
try. Sometimes they will get into a sewer
or well hole and perish, or they will come
ont of a sewer two or three squares away
from where they entered and dogs will kill
them. Very often there is poison in the
holes, which has been put in to kill the rats
The rats carry it to all parts ofthe passages,
but when ] know 1t never allow my ferrets
to work where poison has been used Fer
rets are worth from $40 to SIS. They
have to be imported. tried to breed fer
rets and succeeded in raising about fifty
but they were puny and didn't live long,
This climate don't agree with them NJ,
ferrets don't live over two or three years.
and Il takes a good deal Of money TO keep
good stock ON hand. rvs had as high as
| one hundred at tims. They had to be
given the tenderest care aud kept from
catching. cold. I've made a power OF
money catching rats, and I've spentapowei
of II on ferrets. l charge from Us to $50 a
job, according to the quantity of rats likely
to be in the place. don't know Who'll
take my place when l'aa gone. There's
money in the business, and therell always
be a demand for good Ateafclier."
. Rats" said night wa.chman on the
wharf of a Southern steamship line last
night g Why, there's more rats hopping
along Delaware avenue ut nisLt than there
are stones M the street All the wharyes
where provisions are stored are swimming
with rats. They do thousands and thon-
sands of ilollars' worth Of damages in n
year. Half dozen rats can knaw through
into box of herring ina night and make
the box and its contents unstable The
ships are mostly all fiill Of rats. They live
in the holds and hide in all sort of places.
During voyage from here to Liverpool n
hundred rats viii ruin as many boxes of
cheese or tubs of lard and tallow butter.
They like smoked fish, too, and have
passion for dates and figs and sweet things
that are brought here by ships. The yes
sells that carry grain are bothered q great
deal with rats, too. I've seen rats running
&C IS this wharf as big as cats and as bold
as lions, They grow very large and fat md
hardy here on tho wharyes. They're diff
ferent from stable rats and the rats that
live IN big stores. There're tougher. The
water rats that have their nests underneath
the wharves grow very bold in winter aud
forage over the wiiaryes for winter rations.
A hungry gray rat is ain ugly animal. The
water rats and the land rats don't minge
with each other I've become so used to
seeing rats that can tell q water rat from
hnd rat"
Rats infest every sort Of building nj
most. They can be found in large numbe.s
in iron foundies although il is mystery
what they live on. The stages Of theatres
are nearly all inhabited by rats. The old
market sheds are full of rats. At night
they scampcr about squealing and playing
tag with each other right ON the heels al
most of pedestrians. The farmers and stall
keepers leave lots OF refuse matter for rats
10 feast on, and they will never forsake the
market sheds while Councils allow them TO
stand. An old, red-faced policeman stand
ing in one of the sheds OH Girard avenue
said last night that he'd rather tackle II
prize fighter than big rat.
Thefefe wishus,' he said; turn on
YOU aud jump at you when they get corner
ID. I've seen regular professions Of 'em in
dis here market, bat never interfere with
'ein. don't like to have nothin' 10 do
with rats"
The hotel cellars are mostly all infested
with rats, and the sioreroom where the pro.
visions are kept have 70 be carefully guard.
ed with traps and cats and dogs to keep the
rats away. One hotel proprietor In this
city has over hundred cats in his cellar
and he is not troubled With rats.
Four legged rats and rats that come In
bottles are the cause of incurable pain.--
Philadelphia Timer.